Brokenhearted Memory
by Wherever Girl
Summary: The familiar tamer's story is much more heartbreaking than what her friends knew, and now that they're going their separate ways, she begins to worry that the pain she felt in her heart will return...


Yes, I'm writing another Ni No Kuni fic. Yes, it's between Swaine and Esther. Yes, it's going to contain fluff. …No, these ideas may never stop.

This one is based off a fan-art picture on DeviantArt, _The Night Loop _drawn by **Cora-Diloric **(PS, it's awesome). I was also bored when this idea came to mind so... yeah, read with caution.

And enjoy!

Disclaimer: Ni No Kuni belongs to Level-5 and Studio Ghibli.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Each member of the group had their own sad stories.

Oliver had lost his mother, the whereabouts of his father unknown, and had become an orphan in the town of Motorville, in his world.

Mr. Drippy had been a close friend to his mother, the Great Sage Alicia, and had been turned into a doll by Shadar for most of his life, not knowing his friend had died.

Swaine had been a prince, running away from home to do something with his life in order to please his father, only to become a thief, his brother left to rule alone, and both of them losing their father.

Then there was Esther. The most anyone knew of her back-story was that her father, the Great Sage Rashaad, had given up fighting after Shadar took her courage, both of them keeping distant…

But there was more to her story than that.

It was a week after they restored Cassiopeia to her former glory, and had gone out to explore the world one more time before Oliver would return to his world to move on with his life, promising he would always return as the Otherworld became a new home to him. The group was staying in Tee-Heeti, in the Fairy Grounds. Smiley and Surely were putting on a new show that afternoon, and everyone decided to catch it, feeling after a long journey they deserved to share some good laughs with their fairy-friends.

The stand-up was told to start in an hour, and Oliver and Mr. Drippy went to see Fairy Godmother to tell her about their adventure, as she claimed she had been eager to hear how it went. Swaine and Marcassin were hanging around the cafés, the younger prince trying to convince his older brother to hold a coronation ceremony for his rule, though Swaine kept declining, stating he wasn't quite ready to 'go through with a formal occasion' yet.

Esther had been walking around the tiny village, buying snacks for her familiars and metamorphosing a few of them. She looked at a clock a while later inside a shop, seeing Smiley and Surely's show would be starting in 20 minutes. She walked through the village, to catch up with the others, deciding to find Oliver first- he was the easiest to find, as he hardly wandered off, and always stuck in one spot when telling the story of their adventure to someone… especially with Mr. Drippy helping tell it, as the fairy always went into details.

Sure enough, he was still standing on the platform in front of Fairy Godmother, hardly halfway done with the story… in fact, it seemed they were still at the beginning. "An' that overgrown rodent didn't know what hit him, after Ollie-boy blasted him with a few spells!" Mr. Drippy was stating. "Afterwards, we headed to th' Golden Grove, only to find it was absent o' fairies, like! En't that right, Ollie-boy?"

"Yeah, it turns out the Guardian had been under the control of Shadar… or, Lucien," Oliver replied, still getting used to learning the true identity of the former Dark Djinn.

"Aye, turned him mad, he did! Ended up havin' to help th' lad wit' that battle too- threw a giant shield at th' rotter, I did!" he then flexed one of his scrawny arms. "I knew Ollie-boy could do it, but these ol' muscles were in need o' use, y'know. Couldn't let 'em go to waste!"

Esther had to suppress a giggle. She loved how Mr. Drippy always tried to give himself some extra credit.

"After that, we went to Al-Mamoon, and that's when we met Esther and Rashaad," Oliver told Fairy Godmother.

"Ooh, Esther's that pretty lass ye hang around wit', en't she?" Fairy Godmother recalled. "Quite a pair ya two make, I must say! Proper sweethearts ye be…"

Oliver blushed, while Esther did the same, deciding to wait to walk onto the platform so the situation would seem less awkward, and continued to listen from below. "Um, we're just friends…"

"Oh, I see… takin' youer time, that be good thinkin', lad. You're quite th' gentleman!"

"Ah, stop it before ya kill him wit' embarrassment!" Mr. Drippy scoffed. "Any-who, like Ollie-boy was saying, we went to Al-Mamoon in order to seek help from th' Great Sage, Rashaad, but he wasn't up to th' task after Shadar broke Esthy's heart 'n' caused Rashaad to give up, so me an' Ollie-boy had to seek out Esthy's soul-mate in his world, an' wouldn't ya know it she was closer than we thought!"

Esther smiled, remembering the first time she saw her soul-mate, Myrtle. How exciting it had been, seeing someone else just like her! To know she believed Oliver was magic was equally enthralling, as it was rare for someone from his world to believe such things.

"Yeah, we had to help her, too." Oliver said, taking over the story. "It turns out that she had been sick, but when she got better she was still afraid to leave her house, because her father was heart-broken,"

Esther paused, listening. She didn't hear this part of the story, before.

"Aye, turns out Rashaad's soul-mate was also th' father o' Esther's soul-mate! Small world, it is." Mr. Drippy commented. "Turns out he was lacking some kindness- could tell it th' way he kept snapping at his wife, no matter how nice she was to him. Yet every day she kept tryin', havin' enough kindness in her own heart to stick by his side- so much kindness that Ollie-boy managed to borrow some an' give it to th' pooer man…"

The familiar-tamer blinked. _Myrtle's mother is… still around? _She thought.

She backed away, going back down the path, as Oliver moved on to tell Fairy Godmother about their training at the Temple of Trials. Forgetting about Smiley and Surely's show, she decided to talk a walk on the beach… wandering down the lane of her own memories…

Memories that she tried to keep hidden to this day.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Marcassin, for the last time, I'm not doing it!" Swaine snapped, growing annoyed with every minute. "Not now!"

"Come on, Gascon, how much longer do you plan to wait?" Marcassin questioned. "We'll have to hold the coronation sometime…"

"Why don't you hold one for yourself, then? You're the one who mastered magic and gained the right to rule first!"

Marcassin sighed. "Brother, please don't argue about that. You know the two of us are meant to rule, together. After all, Hamelin would have fell to ruin if you hadn't come along,"

"But you managed to take pretty good care of it all those years, didn't you?"

"Yes, but that was the past. This is a new world, one where we both carry the responsibility. Come, Gascon, you know I can't do it without you…"

Swaine sighed. "Alright, fine… But lets put the 'coronation' idea on hold until I'm used to the palace life again, alright? Besides, we just saved the world- twice! I think it's time we all relaxed rather than think about kingdom matters, don't you agree?"

"I suppose… though I plan on heading back this afternoon,"

The thief arched an eyebrow. "So soon? C'mon, Marcassin, stick around! You've been stuck inside a palace for over 15 years, you deserve a break!"

Marcassin shook his head. "It's time I headed back. The captain of the guards has been watching things long enough, and deserves a break as much as I do."

"At least stick around for the show, you could use some good laughs," Swaine gave his brother a poke. "You seem void of your sense of humor, these days."

The young Sage rolled his eyes. "Very funny, brother. But if you insist, I'll stay. …Are you going to come back with me?"

Swaine paused. True, now that the world had been saved (twice), and he managed to 'redeem' himself by helping Oliver, he could go back to the palace… but at the same time, he wanted to spend as much time with the young wizard, familiar-tamer, and [even] the Lord High Lord of the Fairies as he could, while they could. "Not yet… There's still some things Oliver, Esther, Drippy and I could do…"

Marcassin gave a smile, nodding. "I understand, brother- enjoy all the time you have with our new family, while the celebration goes on."

Swaine looked at him, returning the smile. In the past, figuring the group as a new family didn't really appeal to him- it actually made him tense, nauseas even. But as fate would have it, he grew attached to the group- they all had each other's backs, and overcame every obstacle in their wake, pulling together when danger reared its ugly head. And even when they'd go their separate ways, there was a large chance they would come together again.

"Hey, you two! Th' show's startin'!" Mr. Drippy exclaimed as he and Oliver ran down the path, and he looked over his shoulder. "SORRY FOR TH' CLIFFHANGER, MAM! WE'LL TELL YA HOW WE BEAT AL-KHEMI LATER!"

"You two still haven't finished telling the story?" Marcassin asked Oliver, chuckling a bit.

"Well, Mr. Drippy keeps going into detail…" Oliver replied.

"Why share all the details? Why not the short version?" Swaine questioned. "A wizard, a familiar-tamer, a fairy, and a thief stop the Dark Djinn and White Witch and save the world…"

"Sounds like th' openin' to a joke, mun!" Mr. Drippy scoffed. "Speakin' o' which, lets get a move on before we miss th' act!"

"Wait… where's Esther?" Oliver asked.

"She might be there already," Marcassin guessed.

They followed the audience of fairies to the small amphitheater, where Smiley and Surely performed. Yet Esther was nowhere in sight. "Where'd she run off to?" Mr. Drippy questioned.

"Probably went shopping," Swaine scoffed. "She'll catch up,"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"_Father… is mother… is she really gone?"_

_Rashaad sighed. "She is… after all this time, she's left us…"_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Esther opened her eyes, seeing the sun was sinking into the horizon. She gasped, turning and rushing to the village. _Oh my gosh, the show! The others must be wondering what's keeping me so long! _She thought as she headed for the mini amphitheater.

She sat down in an available spot, seeing her friends were sitting just a couple rows ahead. She would have moved closer, yet the area was so packed it almost seemed impossible. Smiley and Surely were in the middle of their act, doing a routine that involved Smiley acting like a stubborn Rhinosaur while Surely acted like his impatient owner.

"Oi, perform roly-poly on ouer attacker, mun!" Surely ordered.

"I can't, I'm still restin' my stamina," Smiley replied.

"What?! Youe've been restin' for a whole five minutes! It doesn't take that long to build up some energy!"

"It does if I'm inexperienced an' just got done wit' a battle,"

"This is youer first battle!"

"Aye, but I fought ye first, didn't I?"

"Aye, but I fed ye a bunch o' treats! Went through half my supplies, ya did!"

"Can I help it if I'm tryin' to evolve quick? Besides, ye put up a tough fight!"

"Tough fight? I just hit ya wit' a rock!"

"But it was a big rock!"

The audience was in an uproar of laughs. Esther looked over, seeing that even Swaine was having a hard time keeping it contained. She smiled, her face blushing- she liked to see all her friends smiling and laughing after their ordeal, though it really warmed her heart to see the thief having a good time too, after leading a hard life for 15 years.

Deep down, she enjoyed his company- despite his cynical attitude and nonchalant mood, she knew he still cared about them, and during their journey she had developed somewhat of a crush on the ex-prince, although never focused on it as they were all facing peril. Now that the world seemed to be at peace, she felt her face blush deeper, as she thought about her secret affection. Of course, she knew they wouldn't be a couple- but she still enjoyed his company, even if they would only be friends… Or, as Mr. Drippy had put it that one day, a family.

A family… that would soon be splitting apart, as they all went on with their own lives…

She began to wince just then, though faked a giggle so the fairies beside her would just believe she was laughing so hard tears were starting to pour out. She put her focus back on the show, to keep from thinking about such a sad thought…

She was having enough of those as it was, already.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After the show, the others caught up with their familiar-taming friend. "Where were you this afternoon? You missed half the show!" Swaine said to her.

"I decided to take a walk and lost track of time," Esther replied, honestly.

"Really? Did something happen?" Oliver asked.

"No, why?"

The others exchanged glances. "Well, youe're always th' first to round us up, en't ye?" Mr. Drippy brought up. "Every time we have somewhere to get to, youe're th' first to remind us!"

Esther considered this. During their travels, she was the most organized- when they had to decide what familiars to keep and which to drop off at the Retreat, she was the one to point out which were the strongest and who they were most compatible with; she was the one who kept most of their gear and supplies in-check; and of course on the occasion when they would make arrangements to meet someone, or head somewhere at a certain time, she would make sure everyone was together so they wouldn't be late.

"I just got lost in my thoughts," she confessed, truthfully. "Since we don't have to worry about the Dark Djinn or White Witch anymore, I just started to let my mind drift off, thinking about how different things are."

"Don't let it drift off too far, you might lose it." Swaine joked.

Esther scoffed. "I know, that's what happened to you."

The thief glared at her, readying himself for another battle of words, though Oliver cut in before an argument could begin, as he often did. "Well, now that we're all together, what should we do now?" the young wizard asked.

"I need to return to Hamelin, it's about time I got back into my rule," Marcassin replied first. "Would it be okay if I borrowed Tengri?"

"Sure, go ahead!"

"I t'ink I'll be hangin' 'round wit' my butties tonight," Mr. Drippy stated. "Been a while since we all got together an' swapped stories, like."

"What about Fairy Godmother? She'll want to hear the rest of our story,"

"Aye, true, but why don't ye tell her? Apparently she doesn't believe th' Lord High Lord o' th' Fairies is practically a hero! I t'ink ye have a better shot at convincing her, Ollie-boy,"

The wizard chuckled. "I'll try." He turned to Esther and Swaine. "Do you guys want to come?"

"Sure, I'll come." Esther replied first. "Maybe we could visit the new littlies in the Faycare Center, if she's still laughing. What about you, Swaine?"

"Nah, I might turn in early tonight, after I see Marcassin off." Swaine answered, stretching.

Esther shook her head. "You've spent almost the whole trip sleeping!"

"Pardon me, but I think that, after saving the world, it takes more than one week of sleep to relax,"

"Or you're just lazy,"

Swaine gave her a glare. "No, I'm just _relaxing_. I doubt you'd be _that_ dense to not notice the difference,"

Esther glared back, then turned to Marcassin. "Can you please take him with you?"

"C'mon guys, don't start up again." Oliver sighed. "Swaine has a point- we've been through a lot, so we can take our time relaxing,"

"Aye, best do it before ye forget how!" Mr. Drippy agreed.

"Exactly. C'mon, Marcassin, lets go find Tengri," Swaine stated, walking off.

Marcassin turned to Esther. "Don't worry, Esther, he'll be out of your hair before you know it," he lightly joked. "Actually… it would be hard to imagine you all apart. He may be missing you before you know it,"

Esther gave a grin, lightly blushing. Imagining the thief actually missing her was nearly impossible… but brought a warm feeling to her heart. "Yes, well, that would be something," she replied.

"I know I'm going to miss you all," Oliver said. "But I'll keep coming back as often as I can…" he looked around. "It would be impossible not to,"

Esther smiled at him while Marcassin gave a nod. "I agree."

"C'mon, Marcassin, they can't miss you if you don't leave!" Swaine jokingly called.

The Sage rolled his eyes and bid farewell, walking off with his brother, while the rest of the group went to relax themselves.

Though, relaxation didn't seem to be coming to Esther so easily…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

'_I can't believe it… she's gone… to think she had to go, after…' Esther was thinking to herself, as she sobbed on her bed._

_She had been sobbing every night, unable to summon Gogo because she had closed her heart, her courage gone after what had happened…_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The familiar-tamer barely listened to Oliver tell the rest of his tale to Fairy Godmother, snapping back to reality only when Fairy Godmother asked her about a certain situation or how she managed getting along when Oliver was unconscious.

Oliver noticed her melancholy tone as she answered, and told Fairy Godmother it was getting late- as the sun had gone down over an hour ago- and they really needed some rest. "Esther, are you okay?" he asked her as they walked back to the small Cat's Cradle. "You seem upset about something…"

Esther sighed. "Just… thinking about what it may be like when we all go on with our lives. So much changed since you've come to our world- before you mended my heart, it was always my father and I living in Al-Mamoon. Now… I wonder what we'll do now?"

Oliver patted her on the shoulder. "I don't know… but if you ever want to come to Motorville for a change, just ask me."

Esther gave a soft smile, though it faded. "Oliver, I'm curious… What's Myrtle's family like?"

"Well, her dad, Rusty, works at an auto-shop. After we fought his Nightmare and mended his heart, he's been a great dad. And her mom, Betty, is really nice too."

"What does her mom do?"

"I think she stays at home, but I'm not sure. I just know she's always taking time to bring everyone a lunch during the day, and is always lending a hand to neighbors,"

Esther nodded. "She sounds like a wonderful lady,"

"Yeah… Why do you bring it up?"

"Oh… just curious about my soul-mate, that's all." She feigned a smile. "I mean, knowing there's someone else just like me living in your world is pretty exciting to know- it's like you can hang out with 'me' no matter where I am!"

Oliver asked. "Right! Though, she's not exactly like you. You both look alike and have good hearts, but you're more adventurous, and she spends more of her time working."

Esther nodded. "True… I guess soul-mates must have some distinguishing characteristics, otherwise it would just feel like we were copied or something!"

"Yeah… You know, I wonder if I'll have a new soul-mate someday?" Oliver looked up at the sky. "Mom said soul-mates could be reborn…"

"That would be something…"

They let the conversation end there, and entered the small inn. The rooms were quite tiny- so much, in fact, that the fairies had to give them a suite so they would have at least some space… though the suite was basically just a square bedroom 15-feet wide, with a regular-sized bed (by human estimate- for a fairy, it would have been huge).

Nonetheless the room was quite beautiful. The walls were painted to look like a realistic sunset, the colors blending up to the ceiling that matched that of a clear, starry sky. The bed also had colorful decorations, as if the galaxy had a rainbow-blend to it, star-like patterns actually glimmering as if those who rested beneath it were wrapping themselves up with the universe.

In the bed, already in his pyjamas, rested Swaine. Their thief-friend was fast asleep, snoring a bit as he shifted a bit, turning on his side. Oliver and Esther quietly tip-toed across the room to their packs, grabbing their pyjamas to change into, taking turns squeezing into the small bathroom to do so. Mr. Drippy, it appeared, was still out hanging around with the rest of his fairy-friends, which seemed like a good thing- the first time they slept at the tiny hotel, he kept them up joking about how 'clumsy' they were moving about in their tiny rooms, up until Swaine pushed him out the window (which was only three feet from the ground).

The two then climbed into bed, Esther in the middle, and she was thankful they bought the suite since the bed was large enough… though she wished it were just a tad larger so they could stretch out more. Normally they got their own rooms, but considering how tiny the beds at the inn normally were, this was an exception- and there was no space on the floor to sprawl out on, without bumping a limb into a tiny dresser or wardrobe, or getting tripped over in the morning.

She didn't mind, though. It felt nice to be close to her friends. Oliver didn't seem to mind either, as he fell asleep within the minute he said 'goodnight', drifting off to the realm of dreams.

Esther shut her eyes, trying to do the same… but the sad memories wouldn't allow it.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"_How could you let this happen to our own daughter?!" her mother was yelling. "Letting Shadar break her heart like that!"_

"_I wouldn't let that happen… I didn't want it to!" her father argued. "I… I thought he was going to come after me when I defied him… but instead he decided to hurt me, by hurting her."_

"_Rashaad, you should have known…"_

"_What was I supposed to do? Betray everyone and side with him, assisting in spreading Nightmares and breaking the hearts of others?"_

"_I don't know, Rashaad… What I want to know is what you plan on doing now? Are you going to continue to defy him, until he hurts us again?"_

_Rashaad shook his head. "No… I still defy him, but I will not let him hurt us again. I shall tend to the babana stand instead, and stand down from being a Sage… for the sake of our family. It is the most I can do,"_

_Her mother only shook her head, walking out of the room. Esther only sat there, shaken and confused, wondering if her family will find peace again…_

_She didn't know her mother would be leaving soon… leaving her scarred…_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Mother… why did you do it? Why did you let it happen? _Esther thought, wincing as the memory continued through her mind… until it got to the event she had been repressing deep within her subconscious, and it began to resurface…

She bit down on her lip, squeezing her eyes shut tight, taking in a deep breath and forcing herself to remain calm…

Something brushed against her stomach just then, and by reflex she gave a yelp and swung her hand…

…slapping Swaine in the face!

The thief, apparently, had shifted his position again, not knowing Esther was right next to him as his arm had stretched across her. Otherwise, he would have avoided it and wouldn't be sporting a hand-print on his face. "Ow! Esther…? What the hell… why did you slap me?!" the thief demanded, rubbing the side of his face.

Esther gasped, sitting up quickly. "I'm… I'm sorry!" she replied. "I-I just felt something touch me, and…"

"And you decided to slap the closest one next to you, is that it?"

"Don't get cheeky, it was your hand that touched me!"

Swaine blinked, then shook his head. "Yeah, well, people change positions in their sleep. I didn't know you were right next to me!"

"Zzz… hn?" Oliver quietly snored, shifting a bit in his sleep.

Esther and Swaine both paused their argument, then lowered their voices so not to waken their friend. The last thing they needed was the young boy giving them a lecture about getting into a fight at such a late hour.

The familiar-tamer was the first to resume speaking, after letting out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry… it just kind of creeped me out, and I didn't know it was you." She whispered. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have reacted the way I did,"

"Oh, yeah right. You probably would have done it anyway, and made the same excuse," Swaine remarked. "But, I'll let you off easy this time. Next time, you won't be so lucky…"

Esther froze…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_She sat in the corner, rubbing her aching arm, watching as her father shoved a man towards the door. "Don't think I won't be back… next time you won't be so lucky!" he was shouting, namely at her and her mother. _

_Rashaad slammed the door in his face, then turned to his wife. "How dare you allow that man in our house… near our daughter!" he snapped. "What purpose were you hoping to achieve with him causing such pain?! Are you trying to make our child's life worse?!"_

"_I allowed him in because he was more of a man than you are! I was hoping he would do more to protect us than you have!" her mother snapped._

"_By hurting our daughter?! Look at her, she's in shock!"_

"_She's been in shock since she became heart-broken… I didn't know he was after her! I thought he loved…" she paused._

_Rashaad glared at her. "Get your things and get out, and stay away from our daughter."_

_Her mother glared back. "Leave her with you? She'd be more helpless!"_

_Her parents continued to yell into the late hours of the night, while Esther sat there, tears running down her face, still stunned…_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Esther? Hey, Earth to Esther!"

Esther snapped back to reality, as Swaine snapped his fingers in front of her face. "H-Huh?" she gasped, lightly.

"About time, I was starting to believe your brain shut down completely. What's with you, tonight?"

The familiar-tamer thought back to the dark memory, wincing. She turned away from the older man, clearing her throat to keep her voice steady. "Just… have a lot on my mind…" she said. "It's nothing to worry about. Lets just go back to sleep…"

The thief only gave her a look, unconvinced. "Not until you tell me the truth. What are you hiding?"

She gave him a look. "I'm not hiding anything! I just want to get some sleep,"

"So do I, but I don't want to risk a smack to the face again. Tell me what's going on, then we can both sleep…" he yawned a bit, stretching. "And make it quick, I'm losing enough sleep tonight as it is…"

Esther winced, biting her lip. She wanted to tell the ex-prince, wanted to tell him her story… she had always been an open book, unafraid to speak her mind and tell her friends everything! But during those times, it had been the whole group- Oliver and Drippy were always patient listeners.

Swaine, on the other hand… well, she hardly opened up to him, alone. The only time they shared a conversation alone was when Oliver had been unconscious, but that didn't even last long as Vileheart had shown up and forced them into another battle.

The only other time they exchanged words with no criticism was when they had been sent back in time… and that was just with his past-self, the young Prince Gascon- the part of the thief that helped her grow attached to him, giving her hope that, somewhere, that boy was still inside him. During that short minute, back in time, she didn't want to see him go, despite he claimed he had to do so in order to make something of himself, both of them only promising to not say goodbye…

He had changed since then, she noticed instantly the moment the truth was revealed. Now, most of their conversations included an exchange of insults or criticisms, and she eventually forgot about the young prince she had met so long ago. Sometimes she wondered if Swaine even remembered her from his past… remembered that moment they shared…

_He doesn't care, _She told herself then, figuring the thief didn't even want to know why she was so upset- just wanted her excuse, just so he could get back to sleeping. "It's nothing," she sighed bitterly. "Just… just a memory I'm trying to get over, nothing that you'd care about,"

Swaine only scoffed. Perhaps he believed she was using reverse-psychology on him. "Alright, suit yourself. Pardon me for being a friend," he replied, lying down.

Esther lied down next, turning her back to him. _A friend. Yeah right, _she thought, even though she knew, deep down, the thief considered her as such… though his cynicism made it hard for her to believe. _He doesn't consider me that much of a friend… he probably won't even miss me…_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Her mother left with the man._

_That's when she closed her heart. She and her father had been betrayed…_

_She couldn't trust anyone. She was afraid to._

_The one she thought cared about her the most, turned her back on her, and was never seen again…_

_Her father shut everyone out. She did the same. They hardly exchanged any words about the matter… or anything at all. She only walked out with him to the babana-stand, staying close but never speaking, as if she were just a statue…_

_Never had she felt so distant._

_And it was because she was afraid to let anyone in._

_She didn't want to get hurt again._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Swaine lied there a minute, hoping his own reverse-psychology would work, and cause Esther to immediately snap at him for 'being so heartless' and finally give him a good excuse as to why she had been acting so strange. Five minutes passed, then ten, and he was starting to wonder if she didn't just go back to sleep. _Oh well, _he thought, closing his eyes and preparing to get some sleep as well…

He heard a sob. It was quick, and muffled, but he heard it easily. He paused, but the sound didn't repeat, though living as a thief his whole life trained him not to shrug off any kind of noise so easily, and investigate a little in case something was wrong.

He sat up, seeing that indeed something was wrong, as he noticed a trail of tears streaming down Esther's face, the familiar-tamer keeping her eyes shut tight and biting her bottom lip, struggling to keep from crying. _Huh boy… _The thief thought, not exactly knowing what to do. Sure, he had seen Esther upset before, but was never good at consoling her- helping others feel better was namely Oliver's job. Yet, the wizard was asleep, not knowing one of his friends was in need of some comfort, and if the thief tried to wake him, he would wake Esther in the process, with the positions they were in.

Swaine thought about just lying down, and letting Esther handle her own emotions… but he wouldn't get away with that. After travelling so long, Esther knew him well- she probably knew he was still awake…

Maybe wondering why he wasn't doing anything, if he knew she was crying…

_Dammit, why did I have to be the only one awake? _He thought, letting out a quiet, irritated sigh. It was the one, rare moment where he was hoping Mr. Drippy would come through the door, as the fairy was still out with his friends, and have him console the girl. After all, he and Esther weren't exactly on good terms, that much…

Only when she refused to say goodbye… fifteen years ago…

He sighed, looking down at her once again. _Might as well do something, otherwise neither of us are going to sleep. _He finally decided, and gently put a hand on her shoulder.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"_C'mere, Esther… what's wrong, don't you like me?" the man chuckled as he clung to her arm with one hand, while the other wrapped around her waist. "I can fix that…"_

_Esther tried to pull away, looking over at her mother, who was just watching. "Mom, help!" she cried._

"_L… Let her go!" her mother snapped, and that's the most she did._

_If Rashaad hadn't heard his daughter's cry…_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Esther gasped upon feeling a hand on her shoulder, sitting up quick. Swaine flinched, covering his face, bracing himself in case she slapped him again, slowly peeking back at her. Neither of them said a word, as the familiar-tamer was trying to process what was going on, slowly coming back to reality. "S-Swaine?" she whispered after half a minute. "What… what's wrong"

Swaine only gave her a look of bewilderment. "What's wrong? You're the one crying, you tell me!" he replied.

She paused, feeling some spare tears run down her face, as her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. Her eyes began to flood again, and she breathed in deep, trying hard to contain them. _No, steady girl, don't break down … not now… not in front of… _she tried to tell herself.

It was no use. She unleashed her tears, covering her face as she sobbed.

Swaine, in the meantime, sat there for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. He didn't expect the girl to begin crying all over again! _Do something, idiot, before someone else hears her! _He told himself, knowing it would be quite the scene if one of the fairies staying at the inn heard the girl sobbing… much less if Drippy came in upon hearing her, and started snapping at the thief for just sitting there.

He looked over at Oliver, who was still asleep. It would be a better idea to wake the wizard, and have him help out. After all, Esther didn't expect the thief- whom she argued with on a daily basis- to be her comforter, did she? He stretched his arm out behind her, reaching to tap Oliver on the head and wake him…

His arm brushed against Esther. Suddenly, she turned and leaned against him, burying her face in his abdomen, muffling her sobs- she must have thought he was going to put his arm around her!

_Oh… damn. _Swaine thought, now officially stuck. Hesitantly, he draped his arm around her, patting her on the back. "Um… what's wrong, Esther?" he asked, awkwardly. "Mind explaining everything, now?"

Esther sobbed a bit more. "It's… it's just… a long time ago…" she began.

_Oh, great… _Swaine thought, wishing it didn't have to be a 'tragic story'. They had heard enough of those, already! But, he knew she had to get it out of her system, if he were to get out of this predicament. "Slow down, Esther. Breathe,"

She sniffled, sighing as she tried to control her tears. "When I was heart-broken… my mom and dad got into a fight. My mom didn't believe my dad was strong enough to support our family anymore… so she started seeing another man, believing he could take care of us. She brought him over one afternoon, while my father was at the babana-stand, telling me we were all going to leave, start a new family… but…" she paused as another sob escaped, a few more tears being shed. "But he didn't like me… not in a fatherly way, as my mom hoped… and she just stood off to the side, as he tried to…"

She couldn't finish, crying once again into the thief's shirt.

Swaine sat there, dumbstruck. "He… he didn't do anything… did he?" he asked, appalled.

Esther took a breath. "No… my father came as soon as he heard me scream, and threw him out. He kicked mom out next, for allowing such a man to come in our home… and she just left, like she didn't even care," she winced, clinging on to him. "I just… I thought she would stick around, try to make amends… but she just left with him."

He wrapped both his arms around her now, holding her close. "Unbelievable," he quietly muttered, angry at the thought of a mother doing such a thing.

"I've been trying to forget it so long… but then I heard Oliver telling his story, and about Myrtle's mom being so kind… and wished… my mom…"

"Soul-mates aren't always alike…" came a whisper, and the twosome looked over, seeing Oliver facing them. "Lucien and I proved that much… Your mom could have been like Mrs. Cartwright, but didn't realize that your family needed kindness. Myrtle's mother could have left, the way Mr. Cartwright was acting, but she was stronger than that and was kind enough to keep giving him a second chance."

"Hold it, how do we know they were soul-mates in the first place?" Swaine questioned, releasing Esther. "How do we know Esther didn't have a different mother? Her soul-mate's parents don't exactly have to match hers… do they?"

Oliver turned to Esther. "What did your mother look like?"

Esther thought for a moment. "She had long, dark-blonde hair and light-blue eyes, and fair skin." She replied.

"That sounds like Myrtle's mom…"

"Okay, so maybe I was wrong. They are soul-mates, but only in appearance," Swaine scoffed. "They both went down different paths- Myrtle's mom chose to stick by her family, and Esther's walked out on her."

"Esther… is that why you've been upset?"

Esther sighed. "Yes… I didn't want to tell you, because... I thought I could forget it and move on easily," she told him, hanging her head low. "Trouble is… I've been trying to forget it for so long, that when the memories came back… it just hurt too much,"

"Well, it's time to move on for good," Swaine said to her. "So your mom made some poor choices, and never stuck around to see her daughter help save the world. That's not your problem,"

"He's right. I know it hurts, Esther, but don't try to push it back. Just learn to let go," Oliver added. "You've grown stronger since then, and a good heart. Don't let the past try to ruin that,"

Esther nodded, wiping a tear. "Thank you… I'll try," she said, quietly.

"Right now, try to get some sleep, it's already late enough," Swaine told her, lying back down.

Oliver and Esther did the same, and within minutes they heard the thief lightly snoring. However, Esther still couldn't sleep, as worry still preyed on her mind. The young wizard noticed this, as he saw her eyes were still open as she lied on her back, staring at the ceiling.

"Esther… is there something else on your mind?" Oliver whispered.

"Yeah…" Esther admitted, learning from her first mistake that it would be a bad idea to try and hide it. "When my mom turned her back on us… I closed my heart, just so I wouldn't get hurt in case someone left again. You fixed that, and gave me courage to face anything… Now that our adventure has come to an end, we'll be going our own ways, and…"

"And you're worried we might not come back?"

"Yes. I know it sounds silly and I shouldn't fret…"

"I understand, everyone is scared of separating from someone they love… You just have to have hope that someday…" He gripped the pendent around his neck- the one his mother had left for him. "Someday, you'll see them again." He reached over and held her hand. "And I'll keep coming back, so you can count on seeing me again."

Esther smiled, gripping his hand gently. "Thank you, Oliver…" she shut her eyes, deciding to try to sleep.

The memories still lingered in her mind… but she moved on through them, thinking about what happened after- when Oliver came along, and her life changed for the better.

As the minutes changed into hours, hers and Oliver's hands let go, the young wizard asleep once more. She began to dose off, when she once again felt Swaine's hand stretch across her stomach, the thief still snoring, deep in his slumber. She flinched a bit, but fatigue was taking its toll on her, and she decided not to pay any mind to it… instead, she wondered if she would see him again, as well.

Finally, she managed to fall asleep, comfortable in the presence of her friends.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Days Later…_

The day had finally come. Oliver had bid his farewells to all their friends, and went back to Motorville hours ago. Despite he wasn't that far away, and hadn't been gone too long, Esther began to feel sorrow, missing him deeply, as she walked with Swaine through Castaway Cove, the ex-prince having asked Sindbah to give him a lift back to Hamelin.

"Well, hate to take off, Esther, but Marcassin needs someone to help him rule," Swaine said to her as they stood on the docks. "If I'm gone any longer, he might have everyone go around wearing pig-masks, again."

Esther gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Good luck. If you're ever in Al-Mamoon, be sure to visit, won't you?"

"Heh, you say that like you'll miss me,"

"Of course I-"

"All hands on deck! We sail with the tide!" Sindbah called from the ship. "Are ye coming, Swaine?"

"Yeah, I'm coming!" Swaine called back.

Esther looked at the ground. "Goodbye, Swaine… Have a safe trip home," she said, wincing as she began to turn away.

A hand grabbed hers, and she looked up at the thief. "Goodbye? I remember last time we said, 'until next time',"

She gave a small smile. Unable to stop herself, she gave him a hug. "Right. Until next time,"

He chuckled, patting her on the back. They broke out of the embrace and the thief boarded the ship, the familiar-tamer waving to him until the ship was out of sight. Her heart felt heavy, being apart from her friends now, but she carried on.

She knew they would see each other again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Hope you guys liked this, it took me all week to get it finished. :P I also thought of doing something 'slightly' original with the theory of what became of Esther's mother- as most of us would presume she's dead- and also took a shot at writing it to where soul-mates tend to be different in personalities, and in a parallel world one's soul-mate would end up doing something the opposite of what that person would do… (that, or I'm just crazy and may get flamed)

Anyway, reviews are welcome, but please hold back on the flames.


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